Sarah works for a health care center in Cedar Falls that offers specialized services for persons with mental challenges, physical challenges, or traumatic injuries. They offer her health insurance but for the first year they would not cover any pre-existing conditions. This means she will have to pay out of pocket to treat her Crohn’s until that year is up. Also, her doctor at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is not covered under her employer’s group plan. So, she will likely have to find a new doctor.

She was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when she was 15 years old. This diagnosis did not come without its own struggle. Doctors were sure that her appendix had burst and immediately removed it. After the appendix was removed Sarah was left with a fistula on the inside of her abdomen, this made her sick, constantly. Immediately following high school Sarah was too sick to start college. For this reason she was dropped from her parents’ health insurance. It was then she applied for Title XIX Medicaid but was denied. “They didn’t want to help, so I had to let the medical bills pile up.” Four years later she found herself $180,000 in debt and was forced to file for bankruptcy. (In Feb. of ’04)

Sarah has undergone seven surgeries, twice surgery has come as a direct result of not being able to afford medication. “When I don’t have any insurance, and can’t afford to treat myself, the disease progresses to the point where I need surgery, that has happened twice to me.” Though she says of this fact, “I am to the point now where I can’t think about my debt, I’ve got to keep myself healthy that has to be my number one priority.”

Her current medication costs $2,000 per month. Fortunately, her doctor at Mayo clinic set her up with a prescription drug plan. With this plan, the drug company will send her four shots at a time, which is two months of medicine, for free. For this, Sarah is extremely grateful, and very lucky. Without this program she would be in the same situation as before.

She’s taken one semester at Hawkeye Community College of General Education classes. She hasn’t been able to go back.

“I want to go back to school and finish my education, but I can’t, I’ve been turned down for every loan that I’ve applied for because I filed for bankruptcy. They won’t even accept me when my parents co-sign. It’s not my fault, why can’t I get on with my life and continue my education so I can get a good job, and get good health insurance? This country looks at health care as a privilege instead of a right; everyone deserves to have their health”